Suspected bandits abducted five individuals from Shagari Quarters, Dei-Dei, in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in the early hours of Sunday,
According to vigilante sources in the community, the attackers arrived around midnight and targeted the residence of a senior customs officer. They abducted his wife, three of his children, and his younger brother.
“They spent more than two hours before proceeding to the neighbouring Dakwa community,” a source revealed. The officer, who used to work in Abuja, had the police Rapid Response Squad (RRS) frequently stationed near his house. However, following his transfer to Lagos, the RRS presence diminished, although his family remained in the residence.
The gunmen later released the officer’s pregnant wife but left with his children and younger brother.
An attempted attack on houses in Dakwa town was thwarted by security forces, leading to a fierce exchange of fire that forced the bandits to retreat, according to Dr. Alhassan Musa Babachukuri, the Chief of Dakwa.
The traditional ruler expressed concern over the bandits’ base behind Zuma Rock in Chachi community, near Dakwa in Niger State, which provides access to forests around Bwari. He urged the government to take decisive action against the bandits to prevent an escalation of their activities.
The FCT police command spokeswoman, SP Josephine Adeh, has not yet responded to inquiries about the incident.
